Girl, 14, arrested after Woodland car chase

Woodland police say a 14-year-old girl was behind the wheel of a car that led officers on a brief high-speed chase Friday morning.

It began at about 11:45 a.m., when officers received a report of a red Mitsubishi Eclipse driving recklessly through a north Woodland neighborhood, Lt. Anthony Cucchi said. Police spotted the car a short time later near Cottonwood and West Cross streets and determined it had been reported stolen.

“Before the officer could approach the Mitsubishi, the driver drove it away at a high rate of speed,” Cucchi said. A 9-minute chase ensued, reaching speeds of 70 mph before the driver yielded at a Cottonwood Street apartment complex.

The girl, whose name was not released because she is a minor, was lodged at Yolo County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of vehicle theft and recklessly evading a police officer, Cucchi said.